The Recast RCT Enterprise version 1.1 webinar presented some of the latest key features that make the tool such an invaluable administrative asset for Configuration Managers. These updates and new features were inspired by conversations with enterprise level administrators to help them manage devices quickly and effectively. The latest release provides administrators the security measures they need, the data they want and the means to take swift, deliberate action once they find what they are looking for.

These features were created in order to increase the usability of ConfigMgr by making key tools more accessible. I wanted to share five of my favorite features that can be found in the Recast RCT Enterprise 1.1 release.

The Recast Query Tool is an exciting new feature in Recast RCT Enterprise 1.1 which extends the Query node in the ConfigMgr console. The new Query Tool lets users avoid some of the shortcomings of the console’s built-in functionality and adds useful features.
Take a look at this short video to get the full overview of all the new and improved features you receive with the Recast Query Tool:

Status messages are a great tool for Configuration Manager Administrators, but they are hardly ever used. Many times it is much easier to get information on a problem through log files than figuring out a good status message query and running it for the information. Recast RCT Enterprise helps Configuration Manager Administrators easily access status messages tools where they make sense to decrease troubleshooting times of problems. Watch the video to see how Recast RCT Enterprise can help you troubleshoot Task Sequence problems quickly without ever having to look at a smsts log file:

How often are system administrators asked to provision computer labs or groups of computers for single use type scenarios such as testing terminals, kiosks or library machines? Or make a lab available for outside groups to use a single application? This is typically accomplished by a mess of specific user credentials and group policy settings which never fully accomplish the goal and leave a lot to be desired. The Lab Manager plugin for Recast Right Click Tools Enterprise helps you use Microsoft ConfigMgr 2012 to better manage these scenarios and many more.

Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) console extensions have been a widely used tool for administrators to augment the functionality provided by ConfigMgr. The Now Micro Right Click Tools (Right Click Tools) allow administrators to interact with their ConfigMgr clients in real time, enabling them to shortcut some of the wait times associated with an asynchronous client-based architecture. This blog post will cover how to automate the deployment of the Now Micro Right Click Tools using the ConfigMgr application model. The Right Click Tools require the .Net Framework 4.5 or higher, Windows Management Framework 3 or higher, and the Configuration Manager console as prerequisites. See the linked blog posts for more information on how to create silent installations for these applications.

The Configuration Manager Console is the primary tool used to manage an organization’s Configuration Manager environment. Currently, when using the ConsoleSetup.exe file to install the Configuration Manager Console silently, the R2 RTM version of the console is installed. Also, the Report Viewer is left out of the install. Now Micro’s team of expert engineers presents the process for creating a Configuration Manager application that will silently install the console and the report viewer while also applying the latest cumulative update.

The Windows Management Framework 4.0 is an update for devices running Windows 7 SP1, Windows Embedded 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, and Windows Server 2012. It allows these operating systems to gain some of the new improvements and functionality available in Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2.

Deploying .NET Framework 4.5.2 as a Package/Program has always been a possibility, and now it can even be deployed with Software Update Management as a feature pack. But, since the .NET Framework’s only purpose is to support other applications, it makes a lot of sense to be able to deploy it using the Application Model in Configuration Manager. This means the .NET Framework can be defined as a prerequisite for another application. Having .NET Framework 4.5.2 ready to go as an application means any requirement can be covered .NET Framework 4 or above.

Installer
The offline installer can be downloaded here from Microsoft.

During the last Now Micro and Secunia sponsored webinar, our hosts, Nash Pherson and Ryan Ephgrave, got so many requests during their recent webinar, that we decided to put the most popular questions together into one post to share with everyone!